Process Engineering · Ph.D.
Dr. Ana Paula Alves Amorim
Particle modelling · Reaction kinetics · Process optimisation
I work at the intersection of modeling, experimentation, and process engineering, turning complex systems and experimental data into insights that support process understanding, optimization, and industrial decision-making. Trained and experienced in France, Canada, Germany, and Brazil.
Macroparticle as an assembly of mesoparticles · Gaussian distribution · colour = mesoparticle size
01 / INTERACTIVE MODEL
Internal particle morphology in gas-phase ethylene polymerisation
Pick a mesoparticle size distribution and follow how the internal morphology of the growing particle propagates to monomer transport, polymerisation rate and molecular weight — in a semibatch reactor, or in a CSTR with its residence time distribution.
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02 / EXPERTISE
What I do
Particle & reactor modelling
Multiscale models from the catalyst particle to the reactor, coupling mass transfer, kinetics and thermodynamics. Batch and continuous operation.
Applied thermodynamics
Sorption, swelling and phase behaviour of polymers in slurry and gas phase, using equation-of-state models to predict dissolution and gelation risk.
Parameter estimation
Lab and pilot data turned into validated models, with the uncertainty on every parameter quantified rather than assumed.
Process optimisation
Operating-window and design optimisation, including mixed-integer nonlinear formulations for multi-unit energy and process systems.
Safety & continuous improvement
Risk and failure analysis, process safety, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (DMAIC) applied to real operations.
Experimental work
Polymerisation, sorption and diffusion, swelling measurement, and characterisation by DSC, SEC, SEM and optical microscopy.
Programming
MATLAB · Python · C/C++ · R · VBA · GAMS
Process simulation
Aspen Plus · Aspen HYSYS · advanced Excel · BPM modelling
03 / SELECTED WORK
Projects
Four areas of work. Hover over a card — or tap it — to turn it over.
Modelling & simulation
2 projects · hover to flipThermodynamic modelling of polyethylene dissolution to avoid reactor shutdowns
- Problem
- Polymer dissolving into the diluent causes gelation and fouling, and there was no reliable way to predict when it would happen — so operating limits were set conservatively, or discovered the hard way.
- Approach
- Built a thermodynamic model from the Sanchez-Lacombe equation of state, applied to polyethylene sorption and swelling in slurry and gas phase. Part of the work was carried out at the University of Alberta.
- Result
- First predictive model of polyethylene dissolution reported in the literature. A tool to prevent gelation, reduce the risk of costly production shutdowns and support reactor scale-up.
Multiparticle model of olefin polymerisation
- Problem
- Polymer properties depend on a particle morphology that cannot be measured during reaction, so its effect on rate and molecular weight could not be quantified.
- Approach
- Built the growing particle as an assembly of mesoparticles of distributed size, coupling mass transfer and kinetics, then extended it from batch to a continuous reactor using Monte Carlo sampling of the residence time distribution.
- Result
- A route from a morphology nobody can measure to the properties that define the grade. Published in Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. (2026) — its results are at the top of this page.
Optimisation & decision support
1 project · hover to flipCost optimisation of renewable microgrids
- Problem
- Microgrid design studies assume constant equipment efficiency, which overstates performance and leads to oversized, more expensive systems.
- Approach
- Developed a mixed-integer nonlinear optimisation framework in GAMS and Python accounting for the real, time-varying efficiency of solar, wind and biogas units, with clustering used to reduce the dimensionality of the problem.
- Result
- 45 % reduction in total system cost, with demand met in full. The same framework transfers to utility sizing and energy integration on an industrial site, where equipment also runs far from nameplate efficiency. Published in Chemical Engineering Research and Design (2025).
Continuous improvement
1 project · hover to flipLean Six Sigma on a high-volume service process
- Problem
- Users of a municipal pension fund faced long and unpredictable waiting times, with no clear picture of where the delay came from.
- Approach
- Led a DMAIC project as a certified Green Belt: mapped the user journey, eliminated waste, rebalanced flows and standardised tasks. Process modelling and automation in BPM and VBA.
- Result
- 71 % reduction in average lead time, brought under 15 minutes, and a lasting improvement in service level. The DMAIC cycle behind it is the same one used on a production line to attack changeover time or scrap.
Management & automation
2 projects · hover to flipAutomated management tool for the internal departments of a municipal pension fund
- Problem
- Work moving between the internal departments of the fund had no shared view of where each case stood, so coordination depended on people chasing one another and payments could slip past their deadline.
- Approach
- Designed and built a complete automated tool in VBA covering the internal workflow end to end: each step recorded as it happened, with status and deadlines tracked in one place.
- Result
- Tighter control of the processes and much closer follow-up, with significant gains in how work moved between departments and no more late payments.
Automation of a manual task in the paint industry
- Problem
- A recurring task was being done by hand, consuming working hours and exposing the results to transcription errors.
- Approach
- Designed and deployed an automated system in VBA.
- Result
- Around 99.5 % less working time spent on the task, and transcription errors removed from the chain.
04 / BACKGROUND
Training and positions
- Project lead — SLUGGER, Dutch Polymer Institute: co-coordination of the scientific deliverables within an international consortium including industrial partners
- Doctoral exchange — University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (06/2024 – 12/2024)
- Supervision of a 9-month internship on polymerisation modelling and laboratory analyses
- Read the thesis
- Master's exchange — Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany (02/2022 – 08/2022)
- Read the dissertation
- Project Analyst — Fundo Municipal de Previdência de Salvador (FUMPRES), 05/2019 – 10/2020
- R&D Lead — Agendei Saúde (startup), 03/2019 – 10/2020: three investment projects approved
- Engineering Intern — Inovar Tintas, Vitória da Conquista, 2019
05 / PUBLICATIONS
Research output
06 / CONTACT
Let's talk
Open to R&D and process engineering roles in the chemical, polymer and energy industries. Based in Villeurbanne, France, and open to relocation.